Van Zandt, Townes - Two Girls Lyrics






Well, the clouds didn't look like cotton
They didn't even look like clouds
I was underneath the weather
and all my friends looked a crowd
The swimmin' hole was full of rum
I tried to find out why
Well, all I learned was this my friend
You got to swim before you fly

I got two girls
Ones in heaven and ones below
Oh, one I love with all my heart
And one I do not know.

Two lonesome dudes on an ugly horse
Passed by not long ago
They asked me where the action was
I said I did not know
As they disappeared into the brush
I heard the driver say
He's a little slow between the ears
He's always been that way.

Well, Jolly Jane just lays around
And listens with her mouth
She's had about a dozen husbands
But the last one just pulled out
Now, who's gonna bring her dinner
Through the weary years ahead
All she'll get from me is sympathy
Ain't got time to see she's fed.

It's cold down on the bayou
They say it's in your mind
But the moccasins are treadin' ice
And leavin' strange designs
Cajuns say the last time
That this happened they weren't here
All Beaumonts full of penguins
And I'm a-playin it by ear.





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Van Zandt, Townes Two Girls Comments
  1. J.... C....

    Any song that's got the line two lonesome dudes on an ugly horse got my vote

  2. M.... O....

    this songis like a chekov short novel

  3. S.... J....

    I will join you S Hutch

  4. J.... B....

    Listening to him makes me want to drink whiskey, and I am not a whiskey drinker. It just seems like whiskey goes with his songs, which I love.

  5. P.... ....

    everytime im drunk and my intoxication is gettin low i listen to townes van zandt. his voice lets me sleep. thank you townes

  6. r.... A....

    Well, the clouds didn't look like cotton
    They didn't even look like clouds
    I was underneath the weather
    And all my friends looked a crowd
    The swimmin' hole was full of rum
    I tried to find out why
    Well, all I learned was this my friend
    You got to swim before you fly

    I got two girls
    Ones in heaven and ones below
    Oh, one I love with all my heart
    And one I do not know

    Two lonesome dudes on an ugly horse
    Passed by not long ago
    They asked me where the action was
    I said I did not know
    As they disappeared into the brush
    I heard the driver say
    He's a little slow between the ears
    He's always been that way

    Well, Jolly Jane just lays around
    And listens with her mouth
    She's had about a dozen husbands
    But the last one just pulled out
    Now, who's gonna bring her dinner
    Through the weary years ahead
    All she'll get from me is sympathy
    Ain't got time to see she's fed

    It's cold down on the bayou
    They say it's in your mind
    But the moccasins are treadin' ice
    And leavin' strange designs
    Cajuns say the last time
    That this happened they weren't here
    All Beaumonts full of penguins
    And I'm a-playin it by ear

    r.... A....

    Thank for lyrics ! (From France where TVZ stay unkown ... )

  7. T.... S....

    I've wondered if people feel the pain in my soul...after listening to townz I remember I'm not special an not alone even tho I am. I've been listening to him for years an he hits home every time.

  8. G.... d....

    great Townes <3

  9. c.... ....

    R.I.P , we miss u

  10. G.... P....

    The beginning cracked me up!!! I learned a lot after that!!!

  11. S.... H....

    I have to disagree with S Hurch John Prine is a better song writer than any other

    S.... H....

    Music is subjective, I love John Prine's music...I just love Townes more.

    S.... H....

    Fuck I'm divided on this shit. Some days I like one better n the other. They're both saints friend.

    S.... H....

    Townes wins out.Prine aint from Texas!

    S.... H....

    @Talkin Bout Nawlins Thats true, Texas seems to breed legends. I should visit sometime

    S.... H....

    @Nick O C'mon down!,Prine aint from Texas,but he oughta be.He loves playing here just not in the summer.Funny Townes and Guy Clark would go play Colorado during the summer if they could.

  12. T.... F....

    he never got the chance to release the sequel, "One Cup."

  13. S.... H....

    "Townes Van Zandt is the greatest songwriter who ever lived, and i'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffe table in my cowboy boots and say it." - Steve Earle

    S.... H....

    Nice quote...and I get it. But Dylan is vastly superior. I love them both.

  14. B.... N....

    Yes , this is another song of him .... that I LoVe  !
                    Thank you so much .

  15. G.... F....

    This song is about Townes two love affairs -- one with his addiction, the other with his music, his two girls. You decide which one is in heaven and which one is below.

    G.... F....

    I always figured this was about his girlfriend who died, and dating afterwards.

    G.... F....

    i think the music is heaven but also the one he does not know

    G.... F....

    What addiction?

  16. K.... M....

    Why a picture of  Lyall Lovett? This is Townes singing

    K.... M....

    thanks for sharing bro big fan, me :-)

    K.... M....

    @John Scott An old soul who like others of his kind passed young. 

    K.... M....

    As I understand it, Lyle was a fan and influenced by Townes--he also sang "Flyin' Shoes" at Townes' funeral.

    K.... M....

    Here's a Lyle Lovett tribute to Townes: https://youtu.be/DDD04Pxu6aI

  17. z.... ....

    I like to think of this song as two mindsets/moods The girl in Heaven is when he's up ,which he loves. The girl below is when he's down, and he's not sure how to feel because perhaps it's the truest thing he's ever known........or it's about two girls.

    z.... ....

    I took it to mean the condition of a man’s heart with regard to lust. You have a woman, you love her, but you are still drawn to others (one I love with all my heart, and one I do not know).

    z.... ....

    Or maybe it's about one girl.

    z.... ....

    I thought this meant that his girls soul is in heaven and that's the girl he loves with all his heart, but her body is buried in a grave and that's the girl he doesn't know

    z.... ....

    "He always said Heaven was just a whore in Dallas" maybe read more Guy/Townes history....

    z.... ....

    Personally I agree with the one guy that it's about lust, but this conversation shows why I love his music so much. There are so many different interpretations of his songs.

  18. f.... ....

    I still dont get it, what is this song supposed to mean?

    f.... ....

    No I finally figured It out, see the girl he loved with all his heart is dead, and the other is a whore(jolly Jane). that he doesn't care much about and doesn't know very well. and theirs even more to it then that Either way, great song

    f.... ....

    It's about alienation in general and specially towards that girl. The singer loves the other side of the girl and is alienated by the other.

    f.... ....

    Zappaman87 is spot on, the 2 girls are the metaphorical "angel" and "devil" on his shoulder, one tells him to do bad things, take drugs, drink, fornicate. The other tells him to be a good man, don't cheat, help others, be a stand up guy! One he loves with all his heart (the devil) and one he does not know (the angel).
    The four verses, in Townes' slightly surreal poetic style, are about his various states of loneliness, brought about through analyzing the dichotomy of this angel/devil paradigm. Verse 1 - You are all alone in this world, and nothing can change that , not even your friends, but a few drinks (the devil girl) will help you get through it. Verse 2 - Strangers are just friends you haven't met,but even strangers treat him like an idiot, thus furthering his alienation, Verse 3 - his now lonely friend "lazy jane" needs his help and friendship,a feeling he knows all too well (verses 1 and 2), but although he knows helping is the right thing to do, all he knows is the devil girl. So all jane will get is his sympathy, the bare minimum requirement for friendship. Verse 4 - is very vague, but my take on it, is that Americana keeps rolling on, so fuck it! so will he, by playing it by ear!.....great song, by the greatest songwriter.

    f.... ....

    It is a magical diamond song with many gleaming facets. You need light to see the various colors.

  19. c.... ....

    pedifile

  20. k.... b....

    Townes is a Man I met in my dreams.. Did not know who the face was until I heard
    Dead Flowers.. I asked my dad who sings this song dad.. He said HAHAHA I played all this music back in the 80's you should know HIM LOL

  21. l.... ....

    it's an ooooold joke....not originally told by Townes....and it's "...Uncle Ben's Perverted Rice..."

    Look it up....
    Damn..."What's WHITE and crawls up your leg?"
    Never mind that....
    I, Mah Own Damned Self, wanna state what could be The Obvious(and this is what makes it a masterpiece): The song is about one individual girl.

  22. j.... (....

    "...uncle Ben's perverted eyes..."

  23. l.... ....

    "Uncle Ben's Perverted Rice"....

  24. J.... M....

    Ya thanks alot for posting, i had never known of this brilliant man before today, also being a musician with alot of music on youtube i can tell he is going to influence me...

  25. H.... ....

    I love Bob Dylan. I have been listening to Dylan non stop for as long as I can remember, but in the last three months or so, TVZ has occupied that spot.

  26. M.... V....

    Blaze Foley and TVZ is mind blowin

  27. E.... S....

    Whats white and crawls up your leg? Uncle Bens Perverted eyes.

  28. K.... N....

    listen to john hutchinson fallen angels

  29. m.... ....

    Beaumont's full of penguins and I'm playin itt by ear.... great song

  30. r.... ....

    best song writer ever.

  31. C.... T....

    TVZ=GENIUS

  32. m.... ....

    thanks for the upload! LOVE IT!